View Full Version : algae eater's are aggressive???
Jkoziatek
09-22-2007, 8:31 AM
my lil 1.5" algae eater attacked by 3 inch fish fish today... chasing him around the tank... he even went after my 2" ram... is this normal?
sandtiger
09-22-2007, 10:04 AM
What species of it? Many plecos will seek a fish based diet and turn on their tankmates. This is especially true I believe if the plecostomus isen't well fed with a variety of food stuff (wafers, fresh veggies, shrimp etc.). Once they get the taste of a fish though there typically isen't anything you can do to stop it.
rob0521
09-22-2007, 10:05 AM
Is it a pleco, or one of those siamese algae eaters?
Tokis-Phoenix
09-22-2007, 10:59 AM
If its a Chinese Algae Eater then it will become increasingly agressive as it matures towards other fish- do not confuse this fish with Flying Fox, False Flying fox, Siamese Algae Eater and Oto algae eating fish.
This is what CAE's (chinese algae eaters) look like;
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile47.html
They vary quite a bit in colouring and patterning, there is also an attractive golden variety too.
Because these algae eating fish often become very territorial and agressive as they mature, few people choose to keep these fish in the long term as they do not make good community fish in general.
??SLEEPY??
09-22-2007, 11:00 AM
Chinese algae eaters are pretty aggressive.
:stingray:
Mystix212
09-22-2007, 9:00 PM
If its a Chinese Algae Eater then it will become increasingly agressive as it matures towards other fish- do not confuse this fish with Flying Fox, False Flying fox, Siamese Algae Eater and Oto algae eating fish.
This is what CAE's (chinese algae eaters) look like;
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/profile47.html
They vary quite a bit in colouring and patterning, there is also an attractive golden variety too.
Because these algae eating fish often become very territorial and agressive as they mature, few people choose to keep these fish in the long term as they do not make good community fish in general.
:iagree:
Most of the fish commonly sold as "algea eaters" are territorial, so no this wouldn't be abnormal behaviour.
PacKRaT
09-22-2007, 11:02 PM
Emergency adopted one at 4", didn't have anywhere else to put him, so I put him in with a jack dempsey, a firemouth, and an immature midas. In 6 months, at 5", I had to give him away, he was damaging my cichlids! I'll never own one again, not even to save him from death, as the case was then.
Jkoziatek
09-23-2007, 12:36 AM
yup he's a chinese algea eater... should i just get rid of him?
Morledzep
09-23-2007, 2:25 AM
my chinese algae eaters didn't survive living with peacock bass and an RTC..
Nabbig2
09-25-2007, 1:20 AM
Algae eaters: A: Do not eat algae
B: Are aggressive as they matre
Tokis-Phoenix
09-25-2007, 10:15 AM
Algae eaters: A: Do not eat algae
B: Are aggressive as they matre
Chinese algae eaters do eat a lot of algae when juveniles, but as they mature they pay less and less interest in the stuff as they go onto a more protein orientated diet.
sandtiger
09-25-2007, 2:35 PM
Though I know it's not all that normal my CAE is about 7" and still eats algae and isen't aggresive at all. Did the OP say he had a CAE though? I don't recall him being specific.
Jkoziatek
09-26-2007, 4:22 PM
i wanna get rid of him.... would like petsmart but it back from me? cause he is way too agressive now
sandtiger
09-26-2007, 4:52 PM
Petsmart won't take back fish
Jkoziatek
09-26-2007, 5:21 PM
so what r my options to do with him?...
Tokis-Phoenix
09-28-2007, 3:03 PM
so what r my options to do with him?...
Get him a 20-30gallon long tank, put the chinese algae eater in it, have no other bottom dwellers apart from critters like peaceful shrimp, tankmates wise only stock small indentical looking fast tetras, danios and barbs etc like neon tetras, pearl danio's, rosey barbs etc.
Remember to cycle the tank properly (like do a fishless cycle with pure ammonia, or clone some established filter media into the tank etc) and keep it clean with regular once weekly water changes etc and thats about it :) .
Don't put fish which are slow swimming, or bottom dwellers, or which stand out in appearance by themselves, or have large flat bodies (like angel fish, discus, gourami's etc)- these sorts of fish are usuallu targets of chinese algae eaters, however small fast swimming indentical looking fish are rarely bothered by CAE's etc.
Chinese algae eaters are pretty aggressive.
:stingray:
:iagree::iagree:
Mystix212
11-07-2007, 6:20 AM
so what r my options to do with him?...
Feeder.
Or
Re-home. I wouldnt bother dedicating a tank to these scum of the sea.
arrowannalover71
11-18-2007, 5:18 PM
I HAD A REAL BAD ALAGE PROBLEM IN MY TANK , I HAVE A 180 GALLON , I BOUGHT 6 OF THEM WITHIN 5 DAYS ITS ALMOST ALL GONE . I CANT BELIEVE IT , I HAVE YET TO SEE ANY AGGRESSION BUT ALL OF MY FISH ARE MUCH BIGGER THAN THEM
charlet_2007
11-18-2007, 5:38 PM
id get them a tank of their own lol
niblit
11-22-2007, 1:24 AM
His behavior will get worse in time
His behavior will get worse in time
:iagree:
E-Nyce
11-24-2007, 3:09 PM
I once had a CAE in a 29 gal with a red tail shark. They were both about the same size 4in. The CAE would attack the red tailed shark at all times...even ripping off scales, the shark had several white blotchy areas on his sides from the attack. We ended up setting up a smaller tank for the shark and he recovered just fine.